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Spanish-language TV remains a critical part of U.S. Hispanics’ TV diet, according to the latest FOCUS Latino: The Media Landscape 2018 report from leading consumer research firm Horowitz Research. According to the report, which explores U.S. Hispanics’ TV and media behaviors, attitudes, and expectations, six in ten (62%) Hispanic streamers—those who watch at least some of their TV content streamed—perceive that they are watching more TV content compared to about five years ago, and 51% of Hispanic streamers perceive that they are watching the same amount or more Spanish-language TV content compared to five years ago. The perceived increase in TV content viewing is likely due to the perceived increase in quality of TV content: 63% of Hispanic streamers say that the quality of TV content has improved over the past five years, with Spanish dominant and bilingual Hispanics being especially likely to say that TV content has improved (67% and 68%, respectively, compared to 55% of English oriented Hispanics).

“A common misconception is that Spanish language TV is no longer important,” says Adriana Waterston, Horowitz’s SVP of Insights and Strategy. “In any language, ratings for television viewership through traditional and linear platforms have been impacted by streaming. This is not related to the language of the content, but the fragmentation of the media environment. As more and better Spanish-language TV content has become available online, we have seen more Spanish-language content consumed through over-the-top platforms, and are even seeing increased viewership of Spanish content among other segments of the Hispanic audience.”

According to the report, the overall share of Spanish-language viewing among Hispanics has remained flat over the past few years: in 2013, Hispanic TV content viewers reported watching 29% of their TV content in Spanish; in 2018, they report watching 28% in Spanish.

Today’s Hispanic viewer watches Spanish because they want to, not because they have to, underscored by the fact that self-reported time spent with Spanish-language TV actually increased from 26% in 2013 to 34% in 2018 among bilingual Latinos and from 5% in 2013 to 9% in 2018 among English oriented Latinos. Self-reported viewing among Spanish-dominant Latinos decreased from 56% of time spent to 46%.

“The fact that bilinguals are spending more time with Spanish content is not surprising to us,” notes Waterston. “The bar in terms of the quality and originality of Spanish language content has risen, in large part thanks to Telemundo—with their investment in edgy, innovative content— and Netflix— with their deep library of quality Spanish-language content and originals. Plus, shows like Narcos and Jane the Virgin, which reflect the reality of their bilingual, bicultural lives, are really appealing to this audience.”

The full FOCUS Latino: The Media Landscape 2018 report provides analysis of U.S. Hispanic TV viewers 18+ by key demographic and viewer segments, including acculturation, nativity, country of origin, age, and more.

For more information about the study, schedule an interview with an analyst, or to request specific data, please contact stephaniew@horowitzresearch.com, 914-834-5999.

Today, more than two-thirds (68%) of TV content viewers stream at least some of their TV content, according to leading consumer research firm Horowitz Research. Horowitz’s recently-released study, State of Viewing & Streaming 2018, examines how over-the-top services like Netflix have changed how streamers access, discover, and feel about the content they watch. According to the report, the most valuable and largest segment of streamers are the Content Omnivores, named because they have the most varied genre interests and watch content across all platforms they can, including both traditional TV and streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. Representing 88% of streamers—and 61% of TV content viewers overall—Content Omnivores are hungry for content and the report indicates that today’s TV environment is delivering, driving increased viewing: six in ten (60%) of streamers in this study say that the quality of TV content is better than it was about five years ago and over half (55%) say they are watching more TV content now compared to about five years ago.

This content-rich environment, however, comes with its challenges: with over 500 scripted series expected for the 2018-19 season across broadcast, basic cable, premium networks, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and more, half of streamers (50%) report feeling that the amount of TV available today is overwhelming. What’s more, according to the report, nearly half (45%) say that they find it more difficult to talk about TV with other people because everyone is watching shows at their own pace now.

“The challenge today is that there is more and better content being produced, but platform fragmentation and on-demand viewing have made it increasingly challenging for networks and content creators to reach their audiences,” says Adriana Waterston, Horowitz’s SVP of Insight and Strategy. “The ‘long tail’ dynamics of the digital environment is a real conundrum for media companies. Digital expands opportunities to monetize content for a much longer window and to more targeted audiences, but with content costs increasing and ad revenue decreasing, success still needs to happen in the ‘short tail.’”

Artificial intelligence-driven personalized recommendation algorithms are helping to connect content with audiences in today’s digital environment: More than one-third (36%) of streamers frequently use personalized recommendations from streaming services to help them discover new shows. “But,” cautions Waterston, “AI-driven recommendations tend to drive long-tail viewing, not necessarily short tail, immediate success.”

TV ads, word-of-mouth, and social media also remain critical, with 35%, 34%, and 26% of streamers, respectively, saying they frequently discover new shows to watch in those ways. There are key differences by age: For 18-34 year-old streamers, social media is as influential as TV ads (33% vs. 32%, respectively), while older streamers still rely primarily on TV ads and traditional channel surfing to find new shows.

The full report provides analysis of streamers 18+, as well as key demographic and viewer segments, including age, multichannel subscribers and non-subscribers, family households, and more. Additional analyses by Hispanic, Black, and Asian audiences will be published under separate cover.

For more information about the study, schedule an interview with an analyst, or to request specific data, please contact stephaniew@horowitzresearch.com, 914-834-5999.

Three-quarters (76%) of TV content viewers report subscribing to a traditional pay TV—cable, satellite, or telco—service, down from 86% in 2014, reveals the latest data from Horowitz Research’s State of Pay TV, OTT and SVOD. According to the study, just 71% of 18-34 year-olds subscribe to a traditional pay TV service, compared to 75% of 35-49 year-olds and 81% of TV viewers 50+. Although TV viewers are watching more TV content than ever before—the study reveals that TV content viewers report watching an average of 6.5 hours of TV a day—the fact that there are many lower cost services competing for consumers’ video budgets is impacting the perceived cost-benefit ratio of traditional pay TV.

According to the study, 74% of cable TV subscribers, 78% of satellite TV subscribers, and 80% of fiber TV subscribers say that they are satisfied with their TV service overall. However, when asked how “worth it” the TV services they subscribe to are, cable, satellite, and fiber TV subscribers are less likely to say that their TV service is worth it compared to most over-the-top services. Seventy percent (70%) of satellite and fiber subscribers and 62% of cable subscribers say that their service is worth it; between 8-13% say their pay TV is not worth it. On the other hand, 91% of Netflix subscribers say that Netflix is worth the money, and 83% say that Hulu is worth it. Digital pay TV providers Sling TV and Hulu with Live TV also fare better than traditional pay TV, with 79% of Sling TV subscribers and 77% of Hulu with Live TV subscribers saying their service is worth it.

In addition to exploring the value of TV and video services, the study also asked how interested TV viewers would be in either switching to a service like this from their cable/satellite/fiber service (if they currently had pay TV service) or subscribing to one (if they did not currently have pay TV service). Nearly half (48%) of pay TV subscribers express interest in a dMVPD; this rises to 58% among 18-34 year-olds. While these data are based on a broad, general description of dMVPDs and may not translate into actual cord-cutting, they do indicate a willingness among consumers to explore these services, and cost plays a major role. Nearly all (93%) of those interested in dMVPDs cite the lower cost as a key factor why they are interested in a dMVPD. Beyond cost, the viewing and technology experience that consumers have come to expect from over-the-top services is highly valued and, in many cases, more user-friendly than many traditional MVPDs’ set-top box guides.

“The majority of subscribers to over-the-top services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime are also multichannel subscribers; a smaller percent of them are cord-cutters and cord-nevers. Those services are essentially VOD ‘on steroids,’ and they have tended to supplement, rather than cannibalize, the services offered by traditional providers,” says Adriana Waterston, SVP of Insights & Strategy for Horowitz. “The new dMVPDs do compete directly with traditional providers by offering linear television, including sports and local channels in many markets, DVR service, and other elements of traditional multichannel, but for a lower price and with the app-driven, consumer-friendly OTT experience that has transformed consumers’ expectations about how and where they can access their content. It is incumbent on traditional players to continue to assert their value proposition at the same time as they pivot their businesses to serve consumers’ evolving expectations.”

The full report provides analysis by total TV content viewers 18+, as well as key demographic and viewer segments, including age, multichannel subscribers and non-subscribers, family households, and more. Additional analyses by Hispanic, Black, and Asian audiences will be published under separate cover.

When thinking about conducting consumer research in New York, oftentimes the immediate reaction is to go to New York City. Or, if you’re looking for suburban research, New Jersey and southern Connecticut may come to mind…so why come to Westchester County?

With easy access to NYC-area airports, Westchester County is home to people from all walks of life, along with a growing millennial population. Here are a few reasons why Westchester is a great alternative to New York City, northern New Jersey, and southern Connecticut.

1. Westchester is up and coming millennial hub, where researchers can recruit from a wide range of lifestyles, life stages, incomes, and mindsets

Westchester and each of its towns has its own personality and vibe, ranging from the more artsy community of Katonah to upscale Bronxville. And if you think the only places you can find trendsetting millennials are urban centers, Westchester is ready to prove you wrong: riverfront towns like Yonkers, Tarrytown, and Hastings-on-Hudson are reviving the waterfront, attracting professional millennials who want easy access to New York City’s career and entertainment opportunities without having to share a studio apartment with a roommate. Cities like White Plains and New Rochelle offer urban amenities without the New York City price tag.

Westchester boasts a great range of diversity, making it an ideal location for reaching many segments of the American population. Westchester is home to luxury shoppers and bargain hunters alike. The overall median household income of Westchester is on the high side ($86,000), though a third of the population makes $50,000 or below. Highly educated and well-spoken, nearly half of Westchester adult residents have at least a bachelor’s degree. Life in the suburbs is also especially appealing to families, with many New Yorkers coming out to Westchester when they are ready to start a family: more than 100,000 Westchester households have children…so that next project you have where you want to test packaging for your newest children’s toy? We’ve got you covered!

A final note of town pride: New Rochelle, where Insight Loft is located, ranks as the sixth most diverse small city according to an analysis conducted by Wallethub.

2. Westchester is also a hub for diversity, which provides a fresh perspective on multicultural research

Talk of America’s changing demographics often focuses on urban and media centers, like New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago. The reality, though, is that multicultural America is America—in urban centers and outside of them, and savvy marketers are picking up on this. As more multicultural consumers move out of urban centers and into the suburbs, keeping a pulse on what is happening with the non-urban multicultural population is increasingly important. Moving your New York City multicultural research into nearby Westchester can help provide a new perspective on Hispanic, Black, and Asian populations, among others.

3. No professional respondents

With just shy of a million residents (976,000), Westchester County is often overlooked in favor of nearby New York City for research. While larger markets can be plagued by professional respondents—those who attempt to qualify and participate in as many paid research studies as possible, sometimes being less-than-truthful—Westchester is full of consumers who have never participated in market research before. This means respondents are unpracticed and authentic, giving you a fresh perspective on your products, brands, and marketing.

4. Westchester brings you the best of urban and suburban research

Being just outside New York City, Westchester has a variety of both more urban and suburban areas. Cities like Yonkers, New Rochelle, and White Plains have a concentrated, bustling city center, while towns like Yorktown, Somers, and Armonk are textbook suburbs. This mix of urban and suburban areas makes Westchester as well-suited for finding potential car buyers as young, multicultural trendsetters.

When conducting research in Westchester, you can take your pick of flights and hotels. Centrally located near NYC-area airports means not having to pay the premium of flying to smaller, regional airports: fly to LaGuardia and you can be in Westchester County faster than you can get to mid-town Manhattan. Insight Loft is also located directly next to Metro North, meaning that you can stay in Manhattan and experience all NYC has to offer during your down time, while still getting to your focus groups with an easy 30-minute train ride. New Rochelle also has a lot to offer, so if you prefer, you can also settle in at the Radisson or Courtyard Marriott that are walking distance from Insight Loft (preferred rates available).

6. Home to the one of the most contemporary focus group facilities in the east

The idea for Insight Loft came after having a conversation with two tired moderators, home from another long stint on the road. “Why do all focus group facilities look the same?” they lamented, citing the white, grey, and blue neutrals and fluorescent lighting that make rooms feel more like laboratories than creative spaces where honesty and innovation are encouraged. We set out to change that.

Insight Loft features high ceilings, brick facades, bright colors, and a contemporary loft vibe. The space is highly flexible, capable of comfortably transitioning from an intimate living room setup to a high-capacity classroom setup with ease.

So the next time you (or your client) is looking to do research in New York, think outside the Big Apple and visit Insight Loft in Westchester County!

Let’s talk. Give us a call at 914.214.2424 or fill out Insight Loft’s RFP form.

Maybe you’ve heard of online communities but never quite figured out how to use them, or maybe you want to explore the latest in research innovations. Either way, you’ve decided that it’s time to figure out what this methodology is all about. Good news—you’re in the right place! This is the first in a series of posts about what online communities are, how to get started, and best practices to yield rich insights.

What is an online community?

Also known as market research online communities (MROCs) and online insights communities, online communities are a platform for gathering on-demand, qualitative consumer insights. Members partake in various structured closed- and open-ended activities designed to elicit insights around a specific topic. Activities may include open-ended questions, poll questions, video or image uploads, image reviews and feedback, sorting/ranking activities, and more. Participants are encouraged to interact with each other, as well as with the moderator, to expand and deepen conversations.

Online communities are typically smaller, in the 25-100-person range, making them qualitative in nature, but in some cases, a larger community—or network of communities—can be appropriate. Larger communities may also allow findings to be quantified.

Why should I use an online community?

Online communities enable researchers to build a virtual one-on-one rapport with consumers. They bring together the best combination of digital, personal, and social research because they are:

Scalable: Unlike other, more individualized qualitative methodologies, they enable qualitative research to be done on a larger scale. Just imagine trying to do a focus group with 200 respondents.

Flexible: Online communities can be conducted over long or short periods of time, used to test different types of media (including video, ad creative, etc.), and accommodate a range of different testing methodologies.

On-demand: Unlike focus groups or surveys, having an online community means immediate access to a pool of willing respondents.

Adaptive and iterative: The ongoing nature of an online community allows for adjusting activities, and even the direction of research, based on findings. Interaction frequency can increase or decrease based on needs and budget.

Efficient: Online communities can be highly efficient for researchers because they can be conducted among very targeted, sometimes difficult to find, consumer segments.

Engaging: Participants are continuously engaged by each other and the moderator, and this steady stream of participation leads to higher quality insights that carry breadth and depth. The social media-like feel and gamification qualities (e.g., badges, levels) also make online communities a valuable tool for reaching millennials, who can be hard to reach and engage with in other types of research.

What do online communities offer that other methodologies don’t?

Online communities offer a few key benefits that make it an unmatched research tool:

Anonymity: The anonymity inherent in an online community is ideal for allowing participants to speak more freely, since participants usually use a self-created user name within the community. This makes it a great tool for projects that are sensitive in nature, such as those around medical conditions, mental health, and race relations, to name a few.

Product feedback/ideation: The open-ended nature of online communities make it an ideal methodology for getting specific, descriptive feedback on product features.

Behavioral activities: Activities often include active exercises and tasks performed away from the community. Examples include providing feedback on an app or website’s user experience, or taking and uploading pictures for a virtual shop-along.

Location-agnostic: For disparate segments, online communities offer a virtual gathering place, making it easier to do qualitative research among segments independent of geography.

What should I look for in an online community tool?

Each online community platform is a little different, and each project has a unique set of factors and needs. That being said, there are some things to keep in mind upfront.

Cross-platform capability: Participants, especially tech-savvy ones who are likely to participate in online community research, are often on-the-go. Like everything else, they expect mobile accessibility. Plus, being available on mobile makes it easy to integrate mobile ethnography with your online community!

Customizable: Whether you’re creating a branded online community or it’s blind, being able to give each community its own look and feel helps make each one feel special—not just to you, but to participants as well.

Flexible reporting and analytical tools: You may not do all your analysis in the community platform itself, but you’ll always want a way to get a snapshot of data, as well as a way to export the data if you want to pull it into Excel or your own analytics tools.

How do I get started?

Online communities are a flexible tool—and a great one to have as part of your research repertoire. No matter what your objective, online communities can fit into your research plan if you’re willing to take the plunge and experiment a little. To get your innovation juices going, here are four types of projects that are great for online communities.

Ready to get started? Get in touch with us to talk about your research needs and whether an online community might be right for you!

http://www.horowitzresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/600-x-250-Online-Communities-Graphic-v2.jpg250600Horowitzhttp://www.horowitzresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/horowitz-logo-color.pngHorowitz2016-09-01 12:40:312017-04-17 16:24:54Getting Started with Online Community Research

With a number of free and affordable survey tools on the market like Google Forms and SurveyMonkey, survey research is more accessible than ever before. But the most important tool for survey research is the survey instrument itself.

The structure, syntax, and content of a questionnaire can all influence the results of a survey. Designing the survey right from the beginning is critical, because once you’ve begun collecting data, there’s no going back—and bad data is worse than no data at all. Key business decisions are made based on research results, and bad data will undoubtedly lead to bad business decisions. That’s why hiring experts is the best choice you can make when getting ready for your next survey project. Here are eight best practices experts follow when designing an effective survey.

Survey Best Practice #1: Be direct and specific

To get the most accurate results, be as direct and specific as possible.

What is your income?

There is no context around this question. Income may refer to yearly or monthly salary, hourly wages, income from more than one job, respondents’ personal income, or total annual household income. Additionally, respondents won’t know what time period you want: Is it last year’s income, last month’s income, or income for a certain period of time?

Better question: What is your total annual household income before taxes?

Survey Best Practice #2: Ask the hard questions first

Today’s survey respondents have shorter attention spans than ever. When possible, avoid placing difficult questions at the end. You want these questions answered before participants lose focus. Placing complicated questions, grids, or tasks later in the questionnaire may also increase respondent drop-out rates.

Open-ended questions, in particular, require more effort to answer. As much as possible, limit the number of open-ended questions you ask and try to place them closer to the beginning of the survey.

Survey Best Practice #3: Don’t ask two questions in one (a double-barreled question)

Asking two questions in one is an easy trap to fall into, especially when trying to shorten surveys. Here we have provided two examples, one which is very obvious and one which is more nuanced, but they are both equally problematic.

How satisfied are you with the speed and price of your internet service? (1 = not satisfied at all and 5 = extremely satisfied)

In this case, it’s obvious that speed and price are two different attributes and respondents may not have the same level of satisfaction with both attributes. How would someone answer if they feel that they are satisfied with the speed of their internet service, but feel that they pay too much for it? Additionally, how will you interpret and analyze the data?
Another example is this “agree/disagree” question:

I enjoy watching TV because it is exciting (1 = do not agree at all and 5 = strongly agree)

In this case, there are two elements of the statement that the respondent could potentially agree or disagree with. They might enjoy watching TV (and would give it a 5), but they might not necessarily think it is exciting (they might want to rate that aspect of it a 2). A better approach would be to ask this as two separate questions, one aimed at learning whether or not they enjoy TV, and another aimed at identifying the reasons why they do or do not.

Survey Best Practice #4: Allow for “not applicable,” “don’t know,” or “prefer not to answer” choices where appropriate

Have you ever taken a survey and stopped because you got to a question and either the question did not apply to you or your response didn’t align with any of the choices? Sometimes “don’t know” or “not applicable” are the most accurate answers.

Which of the following reasons best describes why you would not buy this crib again?
A. Cost
B. Function
C. Not easily accessible
D. Not appealing

If a respondent is not planning on having any more children, buying a new crib is not applicable. S/he may have loved the crib, but just doesn’t foresee a need for another one. Or what if the respondent liked the crib, but doesn’t know if s/he’ll buy it again because s/he thinks there might be a newer model or the crib s/he bought may not be available? The most accurate answer would be “don’t know.” The respondent will be forced to give an answer that is not true (leading to inaccurate data) or may discontinue the survey altogether.

Survey Best Practice #5: Ensure choices are collectively exhaustive

Allow respondents to give the most accurate response by making sure the choices cover all possible options.

What type of car do you own? Please select all that apply.
A. Sedan
B. Minivan
C. SUV
D. I don’t own a car

What would you answer if you had a hatchback or a truck? Providing respondents with an “Other” option is an easy catchall; better yet, expand the list to cover more possibilities, then add “Other.”

Survey Best Practice #6: Make sure choices are mutually exclusive

Overlapping options can create ambiguity for respondents, causing them to either stop because they don’t know how to answer or they answer incorrectly. Either way, though, questions like this can frustrate your respondents:

What would a respondent who buys exactly 5 books answer? To reduce ambiguity both on the part of the respondent and on the part of the analyst, review your questions to make sure respondents will be able to make a clear choice.

Survey Best Practice #7: Use balanced scales

When using scale questions, make sure your scales are equally positive and negative. Using unbalanced scales can skew the data, making accurate analysis impossible.

How would you rate your experience with Service X?
1. Very good
2. Good
3. Very poor

This scale has two positive items and one negative item. Respondents might have had an OK or poor experience, but are hesitant to say it was very poor and give you the (inaccurate and skewed) answer of “good.” A better scale would be:

1. Very good
2. Good
3. Neutral
4. Poor
5. Very poor

Survey Best Practice #8: Place personal questions at the end

Unless necessary for screening or filtering purposes, place personal questions at the end of the questionnaire. Personal questions are intrusive by nature. When they are placed at the end of the questionnaire, respondents will have had time to warm up to the exercise and may feel less uncomfortable answering income, education level, employment status, race, and sexual orientation questions, particularly over-the-phone and in-person.

But most importantly…

Know your objective, target, and methodology before you start—and review them when you’re done designing the questionnaire.

It’s the most basic tenet, but also the most important one: Before jumping in to design a survey, make sure you know why you’re conducting the survey in the first place. What are you hoping to learn from this survey? Questionnaires often go through many iterations, so when you think you’re done with the survey, go back to the beginning and review the questionnaire to make sure you didn’t lose sight of the original objectives.

While these are some best practices and tips, the best advice is to hire an expert. Experts have the experience and knowledge to take your objectives and turn them into questions that will deliver the insights you need.

At roughly 54 million strong and making up about 17% of the United States population, Hispanics represent a huge market opportunity. Naturally, we have seen a dramatic increase in the amount of resources invested in engaging this important and nuanced group, including in research. So when the success of a new Hispanic initiative hinges on research, making sure your survey reaches the right Hispanics is critical.

In an age where online surveys promise low cost and quick turnaround compared to phone and intercept methodologies, going the online route can be tempting. For Hispanics, though, you need to carefully consider whether an online survey is going to represent your target.

Here’s why: Spanish-dominant Hispanics are still less likely to have Internet access. According to our FOCUS Latino report, 74% of Spanish-dominant Hispanics have high speed Internet access at home or mobile Internet access through a smartphone, compared with 91% and 93% of more acculturated bilingual and English-oriented Hispanics respectively. Furthermore, Spanish-dominant Hispanics are less likely to be included in online panels, and those who are in online panels are not truly representative of the typical Spanish-dominant head of household. Even in homes with Internet access, less acculturated, older heads of household may not always be the main Internet user, may be less comfortable opening unfamiliar emails, and may be less comfortable with using the Internet overall. As a result, online surveys typically over-index younger, more mobile, bilingual and English-oriented Hispanics.

Phone research can help mitigate some of the concerns with online research, but it has its own set of considerations. These concerns include, but are not limited to the fact that Hispanics, like other multicultural groups, are more likely to live in a home that does not have a landline (GfK reports that as of April 2015, a full 60% of Hispanics do not have a landline), landline samples tend to yield older, more traditional households, and cell phone sampling is still expensive and can be cost prohibitive, among other considerations (that’s a post for another time!).

But how about those less acculturated Hispanics who aren’t online and have ditched their landline? Intercepts, in-person interviews at specific venues such as a shopping malls or community centers, can successfully target any and all segments of Hispanics within a targeted footprint. Intercepts work particularly well when trying to reach unacculturated, Spanish-dominant Hispanics who tend to live in tighter-knit communities. They are best used in conjunction with other methodologies to mitigate any vagaries by factors such as location, weather/seasonality, etc., as well as to capture Hispanics living outside of the area covered by the intercepts.

So before you start your next Hispanic endeavor, remember these key considerations:

Online-only surveys tend to leave out the true Spanish-dominant Hispanics, who have less Internet access and tend to be less tech-savvy.

Landline surveys yield older, more traditional households, but nearly two-thirds of Hispanics no longer have a landline.

Intercepts can reach all Hispanics, but have considerable limitations particularly regarding location and cost.

A purely online, landline, or intercept methodology could be the right sampling method for your project, but depending on your target, you may want to consider a mixed-methodology approach.

If you’re not sure how to sample for your next Hispanic project, send us an email for a free consultation!

When we began using online communities for research back in 2006, they were still in their infancy and we were one of very few companies using them. Over the past few years, however, online communities have become one of the hottest research trends—and for good reason!

Online communities are a perfect tool to address objectives that are qualitative in nature, such as drivers of consumer choice, brand perceptions, and product ideation. The on-going feedback and interaction between the client (via a moderator) and participants makes online communities an ideal tool for projects such as shopping behaviors, programming feedback, viewing logs, concept testing, development of creative collateral, and more.

But like any other methodology, some objectives and types of projects are better suited for online communities than others. As one of the early players in online community research, we at Horowitz have had the time to figure out some great online community projects.

Here are four online community projects that you can start using today:

1) Program testing

With more TV content being produced than ever before, it’s becoming more difficult to stand out from the crowd. We’ve launched online communities to provide feedback on shows in development or as they launch. What our clients have learned has allowed them to tweak the programming and marketing to make the show even more successful. This type of project became so popular with our network clients that we developed our ProgramPulse methodology, a quick-turnaround project for immediate feedback on shows, which can also be combined with in-depth interviews.

2) Behavioral studies

With the near ubiquity of the smartphone, we can follow participants into the store, on an outdoor adventure, or even on a vacation. Want to better understand how parents of toddlers shop for food? With an online community, we can ask those parents to take us along to the grocery store by using journals, pictures, or self-recorded video. Want to understand viewers are consuming your brand across TV, print, radio, and digital? Use a viewing log so you can understand how your consumers are interacting with your content.

3) Brand advisory board

You probably already have a CSAT tracker going, but what good is a tracker if you don’t understand the ‘why’s’ driving your key metrics? Start up your own brand advisory board! We’ve used online communities to provide continuous feedback on customer service processes, allowing our clients to get immediate feedback. Plus, the company gets bonus points when the participants see their feedback translate into real changes.

4) Product development and ideation

Online communities are great for product development and ideation because they can function like an extended focus group. Are you an MVPD who wants to test bundles? Or a startup looking to create the new must-have app? A short, focused community will allow you to get feedback from consumers on different iterations of product design, features, pricing, and more, by using image and video reviews, ranking tasks, open-ended questions, usability videos, and more.

Want to learn more about how online communities can help you achieve your research objectives? Get in touch!

http://www.horowitzresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/online-communities-thumbnail.jpg200200Stephanie Wonghttp://www.horowitzresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/horowitz-logo-color.pngStephanie Wong2015-06-04 09:24:272016-07-23 18:50:45Four Ways to Use Online Communities for Better Insights and Richer Research